# Virtual Villagers 5 — user reviews > 176 indexed App Store user reviews of Virtual Villagers 5 by LDW Software, LLC, rated 3.90/5 from 361 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-5/id446408493/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-5/id446408493.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 193 · 4★ 57 · 3★ 29 · 2★ 38 · 1★ 44 ## What do users think of Virtual Villagers 5? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay - 🚀 Challenging and rewarding - 💡 Unique religious/conversion aspect **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs - 🔍 Small and hard-to-use UI elements - 🤔 Controversial religious/conversion theme **Commonly reported bugs** - Time warp power not working as expected - Aqueduct repair issue causing villagers to die - Villagers randomly teleporting during challenges **Most requested features** - Update graphics and UI for modern devices - Add ability to import progress from free version - Improve performance and stability ## Newest reviews (15 of 176) ### 4/5 — Add to Steam *2026-01-19, version 1.2.0* I love these games. Not a fan of the newer versions. I know some of these are on steam but I’d like this one to be there too ### 4/5 — Love this game! But… *2024-09-18, version 1.2.0* I love this game, been restarting it for years but a common issue I see is what seems to be a bug? On my recent play and the play before that, I can’t convert the master builder cos whenever I use the time warp god power to speed them up, it teleports them to the other side of the map! I’ve used it before and after assigning the job but it just doesn’t work, could you please help me out with this as I really want to continue and complete the game ### 3/5 — Can ANYONE fix the aqueduct??? *2024-05-06, version 1.2.0* I have spent DAYS doing the same thing over and over because everybody dies while I’m sleeping. And I just can’t fix the aqueduct. I have masters in everything. They won’t do anything. My master scientist won’t do anything at all. I’m not sure if it’s a bug or what. I looked up cheats! Still can’t figure it out. I’m gonna lose my marbles and it’s your fault. ### 2/5 — HELPP *2024-01-05, version 1.2.0* I really enjoy this game but Im stuck on the builder heathen because of a glitch, it keeps moving my villager to a different spot without letting me finish it, help!! ### 2/5 — Doesn’t Fit Screen *2023-09-18, version 1.2.0* Love the games and I decided to buy this one but the actual game is bigger than my screen. I can’t see a lot of the buttons that’s I need in order to even play. ### 2/5 — Time Warp power doesn’t work. *2023-08-18, version 1.2.0* I love these games, but they’ve broken over time. Thunder caused all my virtual villagers games to flash rapidly like a strobe-light, achievement messages disappear in a millisecond so you can’t read them, the smoke from the fire and houses block sight from anything behind it (this has been happening to all of my games) and now the worst glitch of all? Time-warp in Virtual Villagers 5 literally doesn’t work. Any character I use it on won’t speed up. They’re normal, regular speed and because of that I can’t beat the Master Builder in the competition. I honestly don’t know what’s going on. All these games used to work fine on my phone. I don’t anything will be done to fix these as it’s been years, but I still thought I should leave this review here. It’s sad to see my childhood games breaking down like this. ### 2/5 — How to keep my progress from the free version *2022-05-13, version 1.2.0* I got the free version then I try to purchase the full version from the free one and I can’t so I buy it separately how can I keep my progress from the one from free? ### 3/5 — LDW please update these games *2021-11-08, version 1.2.0* If there’s ever an update to this game, I’d like to see two things: 1. Tech points accumulate a bit faster, and 2. Events happen more often. ### 2/5 — Full *2021-10-11, version 1.2.0* It’s an ok game and works well enough but even with a decent number of villagers it takes too long to get tech to move on. I have 7 master scientists, 5 children, plenty of food been 24 hours since I last took down a totem or solved problem- everything else seems to require more tech points - so what’s the point of playing it if there is nothing to interact with. Started ok but rapidly got dull ( even though I persevered past having a mass wipe out when heathens stole all my food and left me with only 1 man, 1 x 14 yr old boy and a little girl)- got to say what was the point of that wipe out too? No skill to be able to prevent it as too early in game - just added pointless hour waiting for girl to grow up. ( also have speed at max now for last 24 hours) ### 3/5 — Hard puzzle *2020-11-18* So I’ve completed most of the puzzles and I’m on level three for all the tech stuff. But how do I beat the heathen builder? I’ve tried many times and used the time warp, but my villager doesn’t seem to be going faster. I’ve tried using bees first to stop the builder from getting to the challenge, but he doesn’t acknowledge when my villager wins. Am I supposed to use time warp twice or something? And yes I’m using a master builder. ### 3/5 — The Heathen Builder is impossible to beat on the app. *2020-07-16, version 1.2.0* It is impossible ti defeat the heathen builder. When I use thy time warp, my master builder leaves the contest and does other tasks. I’ve tried 10 times 10 ways and nothing works. So frustrated. ### 4/5 — False Advertising *2020-06-18, version 1.2.0* I only downloaded this version of the game because the free one limited the amount of villagers you could have and in this one the population was supposed to have no limits, but I keep getting a notification that I can’t make villagers have babies because there isn’t enough housing. I think this is a rip off. ### 2/5 — Dirty colonisers *2020-06-15, version 1.2.0* Um...the villagers are meant to tear down the ‘heathens’’ temples and convert them? ### 2/5 — Blah *2019-07-11, version 1.2.0* The Lake Puzzle isn’t working and my villagers keep starving. ### 4/5 — I need help with adequate!! *2019-01-30, version 1.2.0* I’ve been playing this game for a few days and I have a master scientist who is also level 2 of the building skill but every time I put him by the adequate it says “Confused.” I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Colonialism *2025-06-25* You take the “heathens” land, resources, and spirituality. You make it seem like they are miserable in their current “savage” ways (actual words used). You knock down their totems and electrocute them as punishment when they defend their territory. You try to convert them to your religion. It sounds like a mirror of many colonized nations like the U.S… towards the end of the game you have shoved them all onto one piece of dry resourceless land. A sort of reserved piece of land you could say… until you scare them with an earthquake and make them all convert. Very interesting to see the things that were passed off as family friendly 15years ago when this was made. ### 1/5 — Uncomfortable with new religious aspect *2024-01-08* Uncomfortable with how oddly religious this game seems to be. I downloaded it because I’ve liked the past VV games, but this one took a major turn down the religious route and does so using outdated terms in referring to villagers as ‘heathens’ that you cannot direct in the game until converted. Why???? Spirituality is now a new discipline for the villagers as well that you can train them in. So weird and alienating towards gamers who aren't interested in this. I’d like to get a refund as I feel uncomfortable contributing to / supporting game makers who suggest that the totems that the virtual villagers have must be torn down and converted, yikes. ### 1/5 — Manipúlate Time Lapses *2020-04-08* Because you need a Master Scientist in order to gain access to the crops, another source of food after the bush no longer provides fruit, they make the process take EXTREMELY long, even on “Fast” play. My other villagers have mastered tasks like farming and healing, but my two adept researchers are approaching master status slowly. It’s unfair because with the bush producing no crops, your healthy villagers start to die. You have to just hope your adept scientist don’t die before mastering science, if so, you’re back at square one. This is the worst time lapse version of the game Ive ever played. ### 1/5 — Halp *2020-03-10, version 1.2.0* The rascal is annoying. Is there any way to get rid of him/her? ### 1/5 — Don’t do it *2017-10-09, version 1.2.0* The UI is badly designed,it’s unclear in what do to and how to do thing you drag and drop people on to thing to make them do things but half the time they just stand there and nothing gets done. ### 1/5 — Boring *2017-09-16, version 1.0.0* Wasn't fun at all ### 1/5 — ridiculous *2016-02-12, version 1.0.0* This game could have been great, but it is way too time consuming, the advancement in technology is way to expensive and when I left my villagers for 2 days, they all died. I don't understand the logic put into this game. ### 1/5 — Not that good!! *2015-04-03, version 1.0.0* It's kinda stupid, when you come back on the app in 3 hours it said that the fates were not nice to you!! But it's not fair they lied it's actually that that the people die!! ### 1/5 — 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎 *2014-07-04, version 1.0.0* HATE THIS $&@#ING AGING BUG 3 OF MY VILLAGERS HAVE AN AGING BUG!!!!!!!! 1 HAS 1 BABY, ANOTHER HAS TWINS, AND THE THIRD ONE HAS ANOTHER BABY ALL STUCK ON 410 MINUTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WISH I COULD RATE 0/ 5 STARS!!!! ### 1/5 — Thumbs down *2013-05-26, version 1.0.0* I work two jobs and can't play this game everyday. My villagers all died. I am very disappointed that I would have to start over. I play the dream house game and they don't die if I don't play everyday. If they do die then I get a new generation. I am so mad that I bought this game and now I will be deleting it. I wish it was more like the other game. Each action takes way to long and sometimes confusing. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great game *2023-10-14, version 1.2.0* When will the developers be coming out with the 6th version? I love this game and wish that they made a new one. I’ve been checking periodically to see if a new version comes out but it’s been years and nothing. Please make another game. ### 5/5 — Please come out with a New VV6!!! *2023-05-21, version 1.2.0* Please make us a new version! Ive beat all the others and would love to pay/play a new one!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ ### 5/5 — What can make the game more interesting *2022-01-26, version 1.2.0* What you should do is give the villagers individual needs such as long term and short term illnesses like cancer, depression, etc. That way the game is more intricate and interesting and the player can get more involved and feel more connected to the villagers. The player can also play for longer periods of time then and won’t run out of things to do so easily. ### 5/5 — Funny!! *2020-10-20, version 1.2.0* I just used the youth power on an esteemed elder who had a baby. Now I have a 5 year old with a baby. Funniest thing I’ve ever seen!!! ### 5/5 — love it *2019-09-29, version 1.2.0* i’ve been playing this game as long as u can remember and even restarting it is so much fun. wish u guys could continue on the series. if your looking for a challenge go for it and buy the game but if not don’t waste your money if you want something “easy”. ### 5/5 — The most challenging out of all! *2018-11-16, version 1.2.0* I love Virtual Villagers and I’ve been playing these games since I was a kid. This 5th one is the best yet. It’s challenging but fun and exciting. The heathens gives a twist to this 5th install that I love! ### 5/5 — LOVE THIS GAME PLEASE MAKE A 6th!!! ❤️ *2018-06-23* I have played all virtual villagers games ever since I was like 6 and the second came out. I absolutely love it and it is definitely my favorite game series EVER! This is one of the most challenging ones but eventually I beat it. I have to say tho, it is really hard to press the buttons and to identify my villagers. I’m at a max of 90 and I have no clue about any of them. Also a little help? I have done all puzzles and have the max amount of villagers however my max power is 999 and I can’t use earthquake until I get 1 more. Seriously?! What do I do now? 😂 But is like to say that this game is so fun and I absolutely love it. Ever since I was little, playing the second game (and getting frustrated because I couldn’t beat it until years later 😂) I have loved LDW so much and all of their hard work and dedication has been appreciated ever since my childhood and I really hope they can make a 6th game!!! This was probably one of the most challenging but also very fun and rewarding when I beat it. (The only one I can’t seem to beat is 3 and I have no idea why 😂) But anyways thanks so much LDW and I look forward to the 6th game which I really hope you can release!! ### 5/5 — Enjoying Game To Play! *2018-04-07, version 1.2.0* Seriously addictive game to play and complete and re-play all over again! 10/10 ### 5/5 — funfunfun *2017-12-31, version 1.2.0* love love love. please make more like this! ### 5/5 — Amazingly addictive *2016-05-27, version 1.0.0* I've played this series for years now! I really wish they'd come out with some more because they're the best. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*